Viktor Hovland cleared after PGA Tour rules officials investigate controversial bunker incident

Viktor Hovland was cleared of a potential rules breach during the final round of the Tour Championship after social media questioned whether the Norwegian had grounded his club in a greenside bunker on the 13th hole. 

The incident became one of the talking points of the final day at East Lake, although PGA Tour rules officials were satisfied there had been no breach — with the matter cleared by the time Hovland reached the 14th hole.

Hovland entered the final round chasing a second career FedEx Cup, but his hopes ultimately faded after a lacklustre 72 saw him finish solo second, three shots behind World No.1 Scottie Scheffler. 

The $5 million runner-up prize was some consolation, but the Norwegian was left frustrated by his performance.

What happened with Hovland?

The controversy came at the par-4 13th, where Hovland found the left greenside bunker.

After playing his third shot, Hovland sent the ball around 18 feet beyond the hole. 

However, before play moved on, PGA Tour rules staff were alerted to concerns that Hovland may have grounded his wedge in the sand.

Social media users began scrutinising the footage, with some suggesting that Hovland's club had made contact with the sand before he played his shot.

The potential issue was significant because a player is prohibited from grounding their club in a bunker before making a stroke.

However, after reviewing a zoomed-in, slow-motion replay during the CBS broadcast, PGA Tour rules officials concluded that the 28-year-old had not breached the Rules of Golf.

Watch what happened here: 

Rules official Mark Dusbabek explained that the Tour had received multiple inquiries about the incident.

“It does not appear to us that he has touched the sand,” Dusbabek said.

That effectively brought the matter to a close, with the ruling confirmed by the time Hovland reached the 14th hole. There was therefore no penalty hanging over him for the remainder of his final round.

Hovland did go on to bogey the 13th, but the bunker incident itself was cleared without further consequence.

Gerard benefited from remarkable rules break

The Hovland situation marked the second notable rules talking point of the weekend at East Lake.

During the third round, Ryan Gerard found himself in serious trouble on the 17th hole after his ball became embedded in the bank in the rough next to the greenside bunker.

It initially looked like the sort of lie that could easily lead to a dropped shot, but Gerard was entitled to free relief under the Rules of Golf, and what followed was one of the biggest breaks of the week.

Gerard was able to move his ball away from the trouble and up towards the top of the rough, where he suddenly found himself with a much more favourable lie in the first cut.

He made the most of the opportunity, getting the ball up and down for par and turning what could have been a potentially damaging situation into a hugely valuable escape.

Watch what happened here: 

Gerard went on to card a 72 in the final round to finish solo third on 12-under par, securing the biggest cheque of his PGA Tour career in the process. The American took home $3.7 million for his podium finish.

Hovland sees positives despite final-round frustration

While Hovland ultimately fell short of a second FedEx Cup, he believes his game is trending in the right direction after recently returning to work with former coach Joe Mayo.

His final-round 72 was frustrating, particularly because he felt his swing was not significantly worse than it had been during the opening rounds — but his misses became more costly.

“I mean, scoring-wise, I feel like I'm really close,” Hovland said.

“If I can just help myself out a little bit, just put the ball in the fairway and have one predictable shot, I feel like I'm going to play some really good golf.”

Hovland explained that he had managed to keep the ball relatively straight during the first few days despite not feeling completely comfortable with his swing.

“The first few days, I felt like I still wasn't swinging it all that great, but the ball went straight,” he said.

“On Sunday or today, I still wasn't swinging it great, and now the ball went sideways. When that happens, it just doesn't feel like I could have done much today.”

Despite the disappointment, Hovland was pleased with his ability to stay in contention.

“Just trying to battle it out, and actually proud of the way I was able to will myself into the tournament,” he added.

Scheffler dominates East Lake

At the top of the leaderboard, Scheffler completed another remarkable season by winning his second career FedEx Cup in three years.

The victory was his third of the season and came with a huge $10 million first prize.

Scheffler also overtook Tiger Woods' longstanding PGA Tour career earnings record, adding another significant milestone to an already extraordinary career.

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